Indwelling catheters may be used in the context of a transfusion to be administered to a patient; they may be used in conjunction with a transfusion to be administered to a patient. Other terms include the term peripheral venous catheter. Known indwelling catheters such as those described in the document WO 2006/053516 A1 usually have a puncture cannula consisting of a metal material, such as a steel alloy, for example, and a tip for performing the puncture. When the indwelling catheter is placed in a use position, the puncture cannula is inserted into an indwelling cannula, so that the tip of the puncture cannula protrudes at the front. With the help of the tip of the puncture cannula, the indwelling catheter is positioned by advancing the puncture cannula to the desired blood vessel, in particular into a vein. After positioning the indwelling catheter, the puncture cannula can be removed. The indwelling cannula through which a transfusion fluid can then be injected intravenously remains connected to the blood vessel. On the other hand, it is often impossible to withdraw additional blood through an indwelling catheter that has been put in position because the blood tests performed on such blood samples may be falsified by blood constituents or dilution effects occurring with the ongoing infusions.
It is therefore provided that a blood sample for testing the blood of the patient is to be performed in conjunction with placement of the indwelling catheter. To do so, the indwelling catheter has a reservoir which is connected to the end of the puncture cannula in the use position, so that blood can flow through the puncture cannula into the reservoir. The blood sample removed in this way can be utilized to determine the patient's blood. By means of statistical surveys, it has been ascertained that mistakes with blood products occur with an incidence of approximately 1:10,000 to 1:20,000. Mistakes in obtaining a pre-transfusion blood sample occur in 1:3000 cases.
In conjunction with blood transfusions, it has been proposed that to avoid mistakes in treatment, an armband holding a so-called RFID chip should be placed on the patient. RFID is a technology which is well-known as such and in which electronic memory chips are used to store information. Memory chips that can only be read out or that can additionally be written are known. Data transfer between the memory chips and a read/write device takes place by wireless data communication. A second RFID chip should then be placed on a unit of blood. When a blood transfusion is intended, the electronic information on the armband and that on the unit of blood should both be evaluated electronically using a reader device. In this way, the person responsible for the transfusion can check on whether the blood unit made available is acceptable and suitable for the patient with the armband. In addition, it has been proposed that information about the temperatures at which the blood unit has been stored should be kept on the RFID chip of the blood unit. The RFID chip has a temperature sensor for this purpose.
Use of RFID technology as such as part of the working procedures of a blood bank is known from the document EP 1 850 289 A1.
In daily practice, there have been problems in that armbands on patients have been inadvertently severed and thereby lost. Such situations occur in particular in conjunction with emergency circumstances in which patients must receive care quickly and which are often characterized by complicated situations.